Tradional Easter Games of Cyprus INTRODUCTION The Folklore Associaon "KTIMA" is a non-profit associaon that has been founded in 2011, in Paphos. The aim of the Associaon is to preserve and promote the Cypriot tradion and our cultural heritage. Our associaon has been involved and engaged in the cultural acvies of our country since its foundaon. In this context, our research team has decided to deal with the tradional Easter Games of Cyprus. Consequently, the Tradional Easter Games ICH element was inscribed on the Naonal Inventory of ICH in 2017. The tradional Easter games are a valuable part of our cultural heritage. These games excite and encourage the younger generaon to come closer to their routes and tradions while they have brought together previous generaons. It is noteworthy that many of the tradional Easter games in Cyprus have ancient Greek and Byzanne origins or influences. This demonstrates the importance of socializing and collecve amusement at major fesvals and events, since ancient mes. Usually, the day of Easter, or on Easter Monday or even on Easter Tuesday, locals and visitors of villages gathered at a central area of the village, oen at a square or at the courtyard of the church aer Easter's lunch. There, in an overjoyed atmosphere, individual and group games were organized, in order to entertain parcipants and aendees of all ages. Oen the tradional games were explained to the audience by older people, who had experienced a multude of similar events. The aendees expressed their interest to parcipate in the game which appealed beer to one's preferences or skills. There was no award or prize for the winner of each game. Thus, parcipants and aendees spent pleasantly the aernoons of Easter days. The Folklore Associaon "KTIMA" has been organizing acvies aiming to safeguard the Easter games for a few years now. Its first acon was to form a research team. The research team collected informaon from residents of communies in Paphos district, who experienced and enjoyed Easter games while growing up. Moreover, the research team collected informaon from valid surveys on the games, as well as webpages that provide useful audiovisual material on tradional games taking place throughout Cyprus. In addion, workshops were organized where hosted speakers, who deal with the value of the tradional games, explained the rules of the games. At the same me, as menoned before, several communies in Paphos district parcipated in this effort. Each year these communies successfully organize Easter tradional games, as to preserve the Cypriot culture. Thus, members of our team visited these communies during the Easter period and recorded useful informaon. Finally, we have collected old photographs, which focus on tradional Easter games and provide valuable insights into the way the games were played in the past and survived in me. Aer gaining insight informaon on the subject it was me to take acon and 'KTIMA' associaon has successfully organized an event of tradional Easter games in Miliu village on the 9th of April 2018. The parcipants were players from the communies that helped 'KTIMA' in the research for the tradional games. Children, young and elderly people spent their me pleasantly by playing the tradional games of their ancestors. MAP OF PAPHOS Χριστάκης Παπανικολάου Τηλ. 99455825 [email protected]

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• Importance of sustaining the tradition of easter games 1 • The goals of the Festival were 2 • Avgoulodromies 4 • Appiisen o kamilos (the camel jumped or tris enteka tris dodeka) 5 • Vatrahos (frog) 6 • Gaourodromies (donkey races) 7 • Stamna (jag) 8 • Dijimin 9 • Ziziros with a hat 10 • Ziziros - Cicada: 11 • (The) Ligrín 12 • Mantili (Handkerchief) 13 • Potamos (river) 14 • The dog and the bone 15 • Sakulodromies 16 • Susa 17 • Skoupa (broom) 18 • Skatulika 19 • Shini 20 • Sitzia 21 • Faratzis 22

IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINING THE TRADITION OF EASTER GAMES Undoubtedly tradional Easter games are a valuable part for our cultural heritage since they promote the respect to our tradion and reveal habits and customs of our ancestors. In addion, they provide valuable insights of the ways that our forefathers used to celebrate Easter, the most important celebraon of Orthodox Chrisanity. Young people live in a society of alienated people, they get carried away by modern behaviors and habits that may prove harming, therefore it is even more crucial for them to socialise in such events so to learn and respect their cultural treasures. Foremost, tradional games promote values and ideals. Thus, young people acquire valuable knowledge and skills by playing tradional games. Among other excellent behavioral skills they gain discipline, respect to the rules of the games, appreciaon between their co-players and opponents, collaborave and team spirit. In conclusion, we are convinced that if young people connue playing tradional Easter games, they will foster our cultural heritage and develop their social, moral and emoonal intelligence.

ACTIVITIES OF 'KTIMA' FOR THE SAFEGUARDING OF THE TRADITIONAL EASTER GAMES The Folklore Associaon KTIMA has already organized the 1st Fesval of Easter Games on April 28 and 29 2019. This fesval involved 14 communies of Paphos District (Pomos, Neo Chorio, Miliou, Yolou, Stroumbi, Lembu, Tala, Kissonerga, Chloraka, Kouklia, Panagia, Tsada, Holetria and Mesa Chorion) and 7 cultural associaons. During the Fesval 19 tradional Easter games, which were registered in the Naonal List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017, were presented in all 14 communies that were menoned before.

1 The goals of the Fesval were:

- The preservaon of the tradional Easter games that were listed in the Naonal Intangible Heritage List in 2017 - The spreading of the tradional games to younger people - The registraon of the new games that may occur - The inclusion of other communies in Paphos in the 2nd Easter fesval - The organizaon of tradional games on Easter Tuesday, 2020 in Paphos with the parcipaon of all 14 communies and finally - The aracon of foreign visitors

For the beer organizaon of the Fesval, the Folklore KTIMA Group held a seminar - briefing on March 21, 2019 with the parcipaon of the representaves of the communies involved and guests - cultural associaons.

Our solid commitment to safeguarding the tradion of Easter Games is evident by the fact that preparaons for the organizaon of the 2nd Fesval of Easter Games have already begun, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. The fesval will be held in the Public Municipal Garden in the center of Paphos and will bring together several communies that will present various Easter games.

2 List of tradional Easter Games of Cyprus recorded in the Naonal Inventory of Cyprus ICH

3 Avgoulodromies

We start by seng a route, with a start and a finish. Players put a spoon in their mouth, or hold it with one of their hands with an egg (cooked) placed on top of the spoon. The concept of the game is for the players to finish without dropping the egg. If they drop the egg, they must stop, pick it up and connue. The player that reaches the finish first, is the winner.

4 Appiisen o kamilos (the camel jumped or tris enteka tris dodeka)

Parcipants are divided in two teams and a leader is chosen for each team. The leader of team A sits on a chair, with the rest of the team players leaning forward in front of him/her, one behind the other with their back in a vercal posion. Everyone should hold the legs of the player in front placing their head as low as possible, forming a human bridge. The players of the opposing team (team B), jump and sit on the backs of the team A. When all the players of team B jump, the leader of team A, says “tris enteka tris dodeka...”. This saying is the signal for players of team A to start moving, trying to make the players of the opponent team fall off from their backs. If they succeed, they win and they swap roles with the opponent team for the next round of the game. If they do not succeed, they start over! 5 Vatrahos (frog)

For this game a frog shape is drawn on the ground and in front of the shape, a line. This game is only played by men or boys. Parcipants sit in a posion similar to a real frog. He who manages to go furthest is the winner

6 Gaourodromies (donkey races)

Every parcipant rides a donkey. The race starts from a certain point in the village and finished at the village square, where the games are taking place. Fist who reaches the finish line is the winner.

7 Stamna (jag)

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This game is only played by females. The parcipants start 50-70m away from the village's water fount (where they used to supply water for their homes) with empty clay jags. At the signal given, they run to fill the jags. One who fills the jag and returns to the start point first, is the winner.

8 Dijimin

This is a game is played by parcipants who want to show their strength and willpower. One can say it resembles the widely known sport of 'weight liing'. Dijimin is a big stone/rock weighing approximately 100ounces. It is placed in the church's yard and its size is a big as human hug. The players parcipang should li the stone as high as possible and make as many steps as possible while holding it. He who manages to throw the stone furthest is the winner. Some players used to throw the stone at the back of their head in an effort to throw it further. There is an expression that we use locally saying “he threw it off his shoulder” and metaphorically means when you do something fast, or being efficient.

9 Ziziros with a hat

This game is played by three persons. They stand next to each other facing the same direcon with their legs wide open and their feet touching the feet of the person standing in the middle, who is wearing a hat. The persons on the le and right side cover their faces with one hand with the palm facing away from their face. With the other hand they try to drop the hat of the person standing in the middle. The person wearing the hat tries to avoid the moves of the other two while making sounds like cicada zzzzzzzz…at the same me he/she also tries to hit the others so that they get distracted. Whoever manages to drop the hat is taking the middle place and the procedure is repeated. 10 Ziziros - Cicada:

This is a group game. A player -the main player- stands upright with his le palm open under the right armpit and with his right hand covers his eyes. The other players stand behind him and one of them slaps the le palm of the main player. Aer the hit, the main player immediately turns to face the other players and tries to guess who hit him. Then all the other players together, in order to confuse him, start making the familiar sound of the cicada zzzzzzzzzzz and they wave a finger in circle. If the main player does not manage to guess correctly the one who hit him he must maintain the same role for the next round of the game. If he guesses correct, the person who hit him stands in the middle taking his place. This is one of the most popular tradional games. 11 (The) Ligrín.

A compeve game played by two or more players. Ligkrin, where the game took its name from, is a very strong piece of wood approximately 30cm long and 2-3cm wide. Ligkrin is placed on top of two stones of the same height (about 25cm) placed with a distance of 20cm between them. The stones where called 'niskia' (hearth), referring to where the food was cooked in old days. Parcipants are lined in a queue resulng from a draw or an agreement between the players. In order to play, the players, hold another piece of wood named 'ligra'. Each player places 'ligra' under the 'ligrin' and with a strong hit they try to throw 'ligrin' as far away as possible!

12 Manli (Handkerchief):

Inially, the players stand in a circle. Then one of them is chosen to stand outside the circle. This player has to hold a handkerchief and run around the circle. He then chooses another player from the circle to give the handkerchief to, so to take this player's place in the circle. The new player holding the handkerchief, starts hing the player standing to his side with the handkerchief. Finally, they end up running around the circle and trying to get their spot back in the circle.

13 Potamos (river)

All the players stand in line leaving 2-3 metres between them, leaning forward, holding their knees with their hands and placing their head as low as possible. One player runs and jumps over the others and at the end he/she stands in line in the same posture as the others. The procedure is repeated unl the players get red and start to give up the game.

14 The dog and the bone:

This game is played by two groups. The players of the game choose someone that will hold “kurupatsi” (a handkerchief) and then they are divided into two teams. The two teams stand in a straight line facing each other. The person holding the handkerchief stands in the middle separang the two teams. The leader of each team numbers his players secretly. Then the person who holds the handkerchief calls out a number and the 2 players with the specific number from each team run to take the handkerchief. If the one that takes the handkerchief returns to his team without being touched by the opponent, his team earns a point. If not, the other team gets the point. The winner is the team with more points. 15 Sakulodromies:

This game can be played by two or more players. The players stand in a large cloth bag and e it with a knot around their waist. When all the players are ready, the race starts at a signal given. The players hop and try to reach the finish line as fast as possible, without falling down. This is a fun game, because almost everybody falls down!

16 Susa:

This tradional game is played by the single ladies and single men of the village. They form groups of two. The girl is sits on the swing and the boy sings 'tsiasto' (Cypriot rhythmic song). The winner is the couple with the best 'tsiasto'

17 Skoupa (broom)

This game is only played by females and the aim is to prove they are good housekeepers and worthy of having a household. The girls/women stand in a circle and one of them holds the broom. Then music starts to play and they start to move the broom around very fast unl the music stops. The girl who has the broom in her hands, when the music stops playing, leaves the game. The procedure is repeated and the winner is the last to stay in the circle. Apart from the prize, she also gets the broom.

18 Skatulika:

This is a group game. To play this game you need eight to ten flat stones that are called 'skatulika'. Their size is smaller than the palm of an adult. 'Skatulika' are placed in a pile (one on top of the other). One player (called 'Skatas'), agrees to be the guard of the stones. The other players stand about 3 meters away of the stones. They try to throw down the whole pile of skatulika using one flat stone each. When a player manages to demolish all the stones, 'Skatas' has to place them quickly in pile and run back to catch the player who demolished them. If he manages to catch him this player will be the new guard of the stones. If 'Skatas' does not catch anyone he has to maintain the same role in the game during the next round.

19 Shini:

This game is played by two teams. The players take a long and thick rope. The rope is marked with a sign in the middle of its length. One team holds the rope from one end and the other team holds the rope from the other end. There is a marked line on the floor and the middle part of the rope must be placed above this. The players have to pull the rope on their side, with all the strength they can put. Each team pulls the opponent unl one team gives up or pulls the other team over the line!

20 Sitzia:

A 2,5meter rope is ed from one end on a tree. The main player has to hold the rope from the other end and protects the tree by not leng anyone get close. The main player has to touch whoever comes near him. Just for fun, the other players get close, trying to touch the back of the main player and run away quickly before the main player manages to catch them. When the main player manages to catch one of the others, then they swap roles for the next round of the game! And this is how the game is played! It is admirable how simply children can have fun!

21 Faratzis:

This is a group game. The main player - Faratzis, choses another player to stand with his palms on his knees pretending to be a “horse”. There is a starng point from where Faratzis has to make a jump over the “horse”. The “horse” has to move to the spot where Faratzis jumped. Faratzis stays away and the rest of the players have to jump over the “horse” from the point Faratzis jumped in the fisrt place. To do so they have to speed from a distance behind the starng point and then make the jump. The game connues unl someone cannot jump over the “horse” and then, this player takes the role of the “horse”.

22 OTHER ACTIVITIES OF KTIMA

'KTIMA' was originally founded to promote tradional folklore Cypriot dancing, in an effort to revive the way locals used to have fun in social gatherings in the past. Later on, a folklore music band was created to accompany our dancing group in major events it parcipates. Apart from being invited in various gatherings, our associaon organizes its own fesval. This year, the 5th Folklore Fesval of KTIMA took place in Paphos for three days, with great success. Apart from the entertaining program, the fesval hosts demonstraon of various tradional items, professions, food and habits which are fading away in me. We are very proud to say that our fesval, held every year during the last weekend of August, has become an instuon.

Through the various acvies we organize as Associaon, we realized that people showed remarkable interest in events promong our tradion and culture. Seeing this, the next step was to establish a folklore compeon of wring, drawing and any other form of art, with the element of tradion being the core subject of it. The parcipants of this compeon are students of all levels of educaon, from all over Cyprus. The compeon is conducted in cooperaon with Neapolis University of Paphos. This year, we held the 3rd Folkore Compeon of KTIMA.